For years I have wanted to visit the Catacombs as it is a huge tourist attraction. It is the ossuary of Paris which, from 1786, has held the uprooted skeletons of 6 million Parisians, some up to 900 years old, moved from over-flowing cemeteries into a small part of the 186 miles of tunnels created by limestone mining for the stone to build Paris.
Descend the 19 metre spiral staircase (130 steps) walking for about 45 minutes / 1½ miles with 200 other people, 12 at a time, through the cavernous chambers displaying the carefully arranged bones. What has stopped me going ? Lovely guests queued for an hour last week and in Summer it is more like 2-3 hrs with no cloakroom / toilet facilities. But that has all changed!
There is now a Catacombs ‘jump the queue’ ticket costing €27 including an audioguide which you book online. It is not part of the Paris Museum Pass package.
Book early, or ask me to do it for you. I tried to book in 10 days time at 5pm and there were only 17 places left. If not, you have 2 other choices :
- Queue for an ordinary ticket for €15 including audioguide and turn up, as even the official website heavily suggests, mid-week in the late afternoon. Last slot is 7pm.
- Or try my cunning plan, be in Paris on the 1st Sunday of the month when most museums are free as my untested hypothesis is that this is the one day people will not pay to go to a museum…
Of course it is something to do in Winter and the hottest days of Summer as it will be the same ambient temperature down there all year round.
Will keep you posted when I go.
Want to know what previous guests said about 52 Clichy ?
Wonderful oasis in the heart of Paris : The minute we open the street door into the quiet garden entry we realized how lucky we were to stay at 52 Clichy. We choose the spacious apartment which had everything we needed and more. Our host Rosemary did a beautiful job of making us comfortable…We will be back to this wonderful home and host.
John and Pam, USA. Stayed in the Apartment in September 2016. Reviewed on Trip Advisor.
